Bella Italia a hidden gem for tasty Italian food
Outside of Bella Italia Pizza and Pasta in Ann Arbor.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Bella Italia Pizza and Pasta looks unremarkable — with a dim atmosphere and just a few dilapidated laminate-covered booths. Housed in the middle of a strip plaza, I’d never been tempted to enter in the five years it’s been around. Only a recent strong recommendation from a foodie friend got me in the door. Simple and basic, all the food is served on paper plates, with plastic silverware.
This restaurant proves the old adage that looks can deceive. After visiting this humble establishment, I can say it provides some of the best home Italian cooking that I’ve had in Ann Arbor.
Bella Italia offers a variety of salads, as well as calzone and stromboli, subs and a huge assortment of pastas and pizza.
Don’t start your meal here without sampling the garlic knots, freshly kneaded and baked. Sprinkled with just a smattering of oil and garlic and served hot from the oven, these are neither greasy nor overpowering. They are fresh, chewy and clearly were just made.
The same goes for the mozzarella sticks. Bella Italia’s were delicious, served with homemade marinara sauce. I enjoyed using that same sauce to accompany the fantastic fried calamari. Even the basic Greek salad was noteworthy, full of fresh vegetables, including black and kalamata olives, served with a delicious special dressing.
The pizza here is New York style, with a thin, crispy crust. It was not particularly rich, due to the sparseness of tomato sauce and cheese, but my kids gave it the thumbs up. And you can’t beat the value — a 10-inch cheese pizza, with 10 slices, is only $5.50.
Bella Italia Pizza and Pasta |
Chicken cacciatore could easily be shared and arrived piping hot in a spicy marinara sauce. Ziti pasta provided a nice backdrop to the sauce and big pieces of chicken. That same pasta and sauce was also in the baked ziti, which was quite good, and had a milder taste.
I also enjoyed the shrimp alfredo, which came with giant, fresh pieces of shrimp in a rich, though not too overwhelming, sauce. The server added big chunks of mushrooms and fresh spinach at my daughter’s request, which made this even better.
The only weak spot we found was the grilled chicken sub. Though the mozzarella and red peppers were fresh, they didn’t meld well with the bland, rubbery chicken.
As for desserts, don’t miss sampling the cannoli, which had a crisp, sweet shell and a fluffy, light interior, as good as any you’d find in an Italian bakery. The tiramisu was so cold it tasted like it had been recently defrosted and didn’t have that same original taste or quality.
Service was prompt and friendly. Bella Italia is a great treat if you’re up for hearty Italian dining.
Comments
Jelani Dante Brinson
Mon, Oct 24, 2011 : 9:59 p.m.
Literally just went here for the first time yesterday night. My girlfriend and I were planning on going into Panera, but I was in the mood for pizza and convinced her to try it out. Both of us were pleasantly surprised. Doesn't look like that much, but pizza is quality...will be back again
Fred
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 : 2:06 p.m.
Is this a Joke?!! This is perhaps the worst Italian restaurant in town. At best it's an OK pizza joint. I Read the review and found it to be extremely misleading and the entire experience is one i wish to NEVER repeat. Julie Halpert wrote " a hidden gem for tasty Italian food" . In my opinion its neither tasty or hidden (well enough!). if you think that authentic southern Italian food is cooked by a bunch of high school kids, then this is the place for you. My stomach and my wallet still hurt from this experience, Thanks Julie!
quitelistener
Sun, Feb 28, 2010 : 8:48 a.m.
Bella Italia is awesome- seriously the best Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor! i'm so glad it's finally getting recognition. The review was weird though- their 10" pizza is cut into 6 slices and they don't serve anything on paper plates ecept pizza slices. hmmmm... maybe she needs to eat there more often!!
Ann Stofflet
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 9:14 a.m.
Bella Italia has the best NY style pizza in the area. I moved here from New York 5 years ago, and we have been on the hunt for authentic NY style pizza and Italian food in general. We have had the pizza when Giuseppe was the owner, and also when Jim took over, and there is very little difference. It is better when you eat it there, but if you want to take it home, ask them to cook it a little longer so the crust gets crisper, that way it won't be as soggy when you get it home. As far as authentic Italian food, the best place that we've found is Giovanni's in Melvindale. Amazing.
cathy banish
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 6:42 p.m.
Love this place--also try Silivos organic pizza
Erin Mann
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.
Everything I've ever tried here has been excellent. Their olive-laden garden salad w/ homemade dressing & their bread sticks are my workday lunch standbys. Great cannoli, too.
quitelistener
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 1:16 p.m.
This place is so much better now that the owners changed!! All their food is great- and i love the tiramisu!
delete this profile
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 12:56 p.m.
This place is great. And they don't serve everything on paper plates, just pizza. The pasta dishes and salads come in nice bowls with real silverware. YUM!!
Julie Halpert
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:51 a.m.
Wolverine 3660: Yes, That was the same person who ran the pizza by the slice place, Giuseppe Cincinnato. He started Bella Italia, but three years ago Jim Millan took over as the owner.
Mary Bilyeu
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:41 a.m.
Oh, I love this place -- it serves the very best pizza I've eaten since I left NYC in '78!!! And the family is wonderful, warm and friendly and inviting... makes me want to head over there for lunch!
theodynus
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 8:45 a.m.
Their cannoli is the only one I've found in Michigan that comes close to the stuff you can get in Italian neighborhoods up and down the east coast. The margherita pizza is amazing, but unfortunately it doesn't travel very well. You really need to go eat it straight out of the oven, at the restaurant, because by the time it arrives at your table in its cardboard box, the poor thing has been steamed into sogginess. That's the only downside of really good NY style pizza.
Wolverine3660
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 7:22 a.m.
Julie- is this the place that is run by the same family who used to run a pizza-by-the-slice place on East Univ Ave about a decade back?